Work Out With Walking Sticks

Work Out With Walking Sticks FARM HOME recreation 27-1-31 Back surgery made Tim Affield serious about exercise. So serious that he designed walking sticks to get even more out of his daily walks. "Simple walking engages the leg muscles, but the advantages end at the lumbar region," explains Affield. The Marengo, Illinois farmer knew he needed to strengthen his upper back and shoulder muscles as well. He had heard about Nordic walking, where you use walking sticks to get a full body workout. Affield saw several problems with existing walking sticks, so he designed his own. "The handle is a rolling rung hand grip," he explains. "It sits on the top of the walking stick. At the other end of the stick is a wheel. As you swing the stick forward, the wheel runs free on the ground. As you push down on the stick, a jackknifing design locks the wheel in place, giving you something to push down and against." The pole itself is curved toward the back so all the action is behind the user. Horizontal to the ground, the rolling handgrips distribute the pressure evenly across the hand and wrist. Conventional walking sticks, like ski poles, place most of the pressure on the sides of the hand and wrist. Affield says his walking sticks capture the natural arm swing reflex that we all have when walking. Pushing down and back on the sticks strengthens the trapezius muscles of arms and shoulders. Affield has patented his design and is looking for a manufacturer to begin production of the sticks. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Tim Affield, 1904 River Road, Marengo, Ill. 60152 (ph 815 568-7128).

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